


To Go Faster Alone or Go Further Together

by Faetality



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: dystopian au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:00:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25570990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faetality/pseuds/Faetality
Summary: The world ended years ago, but they’re still living.
Relationships: Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 8
Kudos: 121
Collections: Steter Week 2020





	To Go Faster Alone or Go Further Together

“Peter!” it’s a shout and a whisper all at once. “Peter, come here!” the young man is crouched behind an old concrete barricade, bits of gray peeking through years of moss. The wolf comes to crouch behind him, 

“What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing, nothing - just look. Two o’clock.”Across what once had been a skatepark if Peter were to wager a guess, was movement. Movement and  _ laughter _ . The first was common enough- if usually cause for concern, the second was like a distant memory brought to life. Something dreamt or remembered in passing like the wrong through the trees.  _ People.  _ “We should turn back and skirt the other side of the town.” 

“They might be friendly. Extra hands through this part of the country… we could catch some extra sleep at night.” 

“When’s the last time anyone you met was friendly?” 

-

_ It had been raining that day. He’d thought it would be safe to move, it was a rookie mistake and he had been wrong. So very wrong.  _

_ He was hardly two streets in when the skittering started. The rats knew. Peter had learned to listen to them. He didn’t waste time, just started going faster, when the almost footfalls became wet slaps he ran. He ran like his life depended on it, it did after all. He’d underestimated this small town- expecting maybe ten or twelve infected humans at most. There were easily that many already behind him. He turned left into the business district and suddenly there was an open door ahead.  _

_ “Here!”  _

_ He didn’t think. He just ran. This guy could kill him as soon as he’s through the door but the risk was worth it. The man bolted the door behind him and said, “keep moving. They know you’re in here so we need to get to the back.” Peter eyed the bat in the stranger’s hand. “Go on. The longer we’re here the higher the chance they get enough numbers to break through.”  _

_ The light that was filtering through the room came from an old construction lamp hooked to a car battery. Peter put his back to the wall and studied his new… acquaintance. He was younger than Peter expected. The suggestion of a beard given to him by the dim lighting, his hair was long and wild, and his clothing was tattered and dirty- though Peter could hardly judge.  _

_ “What were you doing out there?”  _

_ “Running for my life obviously.” The bat tapped against the man’s shoes twice. “I’m moving East. Trying to get somewhere safer.”  _

_ “Ha. Well. You picked a helluva a route. I’m Stiles.” It was probably a nickname. Though there was no reason to hide real names anymore. No one could search for you anyway. “And you are?” He hesitated. “Come on, you’re the first person I’ve talked to in months who hasn’t pulled a gun on me. Give me your name and I’ll share the jerky I found at the butcher’s down the road.”  _

_ Well, when it was put that way; _

_ “Peter. I’m Peter.” _

_ - _

Stiles was still watching the pair across the way. The two men- because of that Peter was sure- had settled down on the edge of the bowl and were sharing lunch of some sort. “It’s too late in the day to go back around. Unless you want to try finding a solid building to hold up in we need to keep going straight. The old Marriott is the best place we’ve got for security and it’s still an hour’s walk.” They had spotted the hotel sign from the rooftop they’d huddled on the previous night. Peter knew they needed the security and the warmth before Stiles caught something. The weather was turning colder by the day and Peter wasn’t strong enough to get them both through the state. 

The last time he’d been sick he nearly died. Both of them had.

-

_ “Shhh, it’s okay. Just drink this for me.” Four months. They’d been travelling together for four months and already Peter couldn’t stand the idea of continuing on alone. Going without this young man with his sharp wit and endless chatter. He couldn’t go back to the silence. Not again. They had picked up coats in those days after they met, Stiles leading him to the stores that had managed to survive the riots and the looting. They’d been prepared. They truly had. But there had been something in the water.  _

_ All it took was a bit of sickness and then it spread, a stomach ache turned to cold sweats and cold sweats became inability to sit by himself. Peter watched the sun go down outside the window of the bank they had broken into. “You’re going to be fine.” Peter didn’t talk nervously, he did not ramble or chatter, but he couldn’t stop the assurances that Stiles would be fine. Whether for the other man or himself he couldn’t say. He compulsively kept checking the man’s eyes, looking for any sign of the gray-black veins that marked the  _ infected  _ from the healthy. If that happened… Peter would kill him. It would be a mercy and, at that point, an obligation to his companion. “Rest now. I’ll keep watch.”  _

_ He dozed. He had to have, because the next thing he knew there were wolves in the room. Peter snarled, eyes flaring bright in the darkness but the animals didn’t move. They should have cowared from him but they didn’t. He knew well what that meant, that these animals had been infected. They were dangerous for more than one reason. Carefully he inched his hand toward the bat that lay at Stiles’ side. “Okay, if you want to play let’s play.” He tried to be quiet, tried to keep more of them from coming. He couldn’t quell the rumble of his chest or the way his eyes flared in anger.  _

_ When it was over he dragged Stiles into what must have been an office before it all went down. It was an extra door between them at the least. It was hours passed dawn when the young man stirred, _

_ “Peter? Peter, what are you?”  _

_ - _

The men weren’t moving. “Stiles, we need to keep going so either we turn back and spend another night risking our necks in that parking garage or we go past them.” Peter was right, they didn’t have much choice outside of that, staying in one place until nightfall or even before then was dangerous. Peter understood the hesitation, he truly did, but they  _ needed  _ to keep moving. He estimated they were a few daysout from hopping back on the old interstate and then they really wouldn’t have a chance to rest. While the infected may not enjoy being exposed any more than they did it still happened and out there on the road cover would be scarce. 

Peter turned so his back was to the wall and leaned closer. “I understand, but we’re going to be safe. You know I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“I’m not worried about myself, Peter.” 

-

_ Peter stroked his fingers down Stiles’ spine, smiling to himself in his afterglow. They’d found a nice house, a real estate stage house rather than an abandoned home and with the safety they found themselves… well. They found themselves finally taking action on what had been brewing since the days before the bank. His boy- though he knew well enough that Stiles was anything but a boy- sighed and wormed his way closer despite already being skin to skin.  _

_ “I’m glad you found me.” he mumbled.  _

_ “Dear boy, I do believe it was the other way around.” _

_ “Doesn’t matter.” and that was far too coherent for the half asleep state he had been in. “Found me. I was so lonely, I don’t think I’d have made it this far without you… you saved me Peter.”  _

_ “And you saved me. I never realized how lonely I was before you came along.”  _

_ There’s a sudden tang of salt in the air and concern pushed aside the rest of the laziness he’d felt.  _

_ “Stiles? Stiles, baby, what’s wrong?”  _

_ “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I just…” he took a few deep breaths and Peter waited. Let him gather himself. “I thought, after dad died… I thought I was never going to have anyone else again. Then you showed up and you’ve… you’ve been perfect even though we have to put up with all this  _ shit  _ and I just- I know it’s dumb but I love you. I love you.” Peter had never been one to allow himself any vulnerabilities but he pressed his forehead against Stiles’ and said, _

_ “I love you too. It’s not dumb, it’s natural and I love you too. Don’t doubt that.” Slowly Stiles calmed and they laid back down on their sides. “Before… you travelled with your father?” _

_ “Yeah.” _

_ “What was he like?” _

_ “Brave. Strong. Honest. He was a Sheriff before the virus hit. He… He was a good man. Better than me. He would help anyone we met while traveling. He probably saved fifty people by the time we got to the Rockies.” _

_ “How- you don’t have to talk about it if it hurts.” He wanted to know but there were more important things than knowing Stiles’ past, things like having his trust and showing the love he held for him.  _ Love _ wasn’t it strange that it had come to him here and now.  _

_ “He wanted to help some guys. They had an old truck and said they would give us a ride… we weren’t fifty feet from them when they started shooting. I don’t know what really happened I just remember  _ **_screaming_ ** _. I didn’t see- I guess he could still be alive but I think it would be better for him not to be.” _

_ “My family died before the Collapse. Hunters decided that they- that  _ we _ were the cause of the disease. They burned them alive. My nephew and two of my nieces weren’t in the house but I haven’t heard from any of them since the eclipse.” _

_ “I’m sorry.” _

_ “It wasn’t you. But for what it’s worth, I’m sorry too.”  _

_ “Kiss me again?”  _

_ “Of course.”  _

-

The choice was taken from them by a passing stray. The mongrel barked and raised its hackles and the men across the way froze. 

“Who’s there?”

“Come out! We don’t want any trouble.” 

“It’s going to be fine.” Peter whispered, standing and stepping into clear view. “We’re just passing through! We don’t want any trouble either.” Stiles stepped behind him and slowly they made their way closer. 

“What’s your name?” The second man had long hair and a stocky build. 

“I’m Peter, this is Stiles.” They we’re close enough to see both men carried weapons but when Stiles set his bat on the ground they did the same. 

“I’m Chris.”

“Eliot. Y’all hungry? You’re welcome to sit down.” They both hesitated but they do sit eventually. “Where are you headed?” 

Stiles chewed on the jerky he’d been given, savoring the flavor. “Nashville. We’re cutting north from there.” 

“Not a bad plan but that’s a big city to get through.” 

“It is. But rumor has it there are fewer factions around it since the military operation last year.” A loose fitting term for a large scale attack in a vain attempt at “reclaiming” their spaces. The virus just kept spreading, but some good did come of it. The uninfected scattered. 

“We’re heading that same way, would you take the company?” Eliot seemed as surprised by Chris‘s question as Peter himself was. 

“Err we don’t- I mean. We usually travel alone.” Stiles’ hand tightened on Peter’s leg. 

“I get it. You don’t trust us. But there’s a higher chance that all of us make it out the other side if we team up.” 

-

_ “Peter, breathe. It’s okay. It’s okay. We’re safe.” Shifted and amped up to eleven the wolf was shaking. Claws pricked at the cloth over Stiles’ legs and he shuffled closer. “I’ve got you.” They were huddled in a cabin, wind whistled through the walls and rain dripped onto a carpet that had seen better days but it was shelter of some kind. When the shift receded and the man was the one holding Stiles in his lap the human pressed a kiss to his neck. _

_ “I love you. I’m not letting you go.” _

-

Chris and Eliot held their word and when the group split ways nearly a month down the line, Stiles actually felt a pang of sadness. It had been nice to have company again, someone other than Peter to pick their brain and listen to stories he couldn’t have dreamed. But they parted ways anyway. They had their own people to search for and to ask for anything less would have been selfish. 

With the city looming in front of them Stiles smiled, 

“Ready?”

“With you by my side? Always.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is my favorite piece I’ve written for this event. Hope y’all enjoyed it, thanks for reading!


End file.
